KARACHI:
This year, most students who undertook the medical test conducted by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) complained of an exceptional number of flaws and errors in the test. This was not due to a lack of preparation but the PMC’s inability to conduct the exam efficiently. Many of the questions that appeared in the exam were out of the syllabus because of which students scored low on the tests. Consequently, students across the country took to the streets in protest against the PMC.
The PMC responded to the protests by handing over the responsibility of analysing and marking tests to the Quaid-e-Azam University. Subsequently, students were awarded marks at random, which ranged from five to twenty extra marks. The President of the PMC says that these marks were awarded based on the number of ambiguous questions in the test paper of each student. This then raises the question: how can the PMC conduct a test that has up to 20 ambiguous questions? Many students received low marks prior to the analysis because of which they were unable to meet the admission criteria for universities. For instance, the National University of Medical Sciences required students to have cleared the PMC test.
Due to the PMC’s negligence, many students have suffered and are now forced to re-apply to universities. However, the PMC has failed to assume responsibility for their mistake. The relevant authorities should take strict action against the PMC and ensure that these bodies are regulated.
Muhammad Abdullah Khan
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2021.
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